Hicks Janitorial Service relies on relationships to sustain business

Published 6:00 pm, Saturday, February 21, 2009

"Good afternoon, Hicks Janitorial Supply, how may I help you?" said Allsopp in his distinct British accent.

He listened for a moment as a customer described a cleaning issue with their wood floor and then proceeded to advise, setting the notebook of regular customer orders down on the counter.

The problem, he explained, is similar to someone who has a headache and comes to the pharmacist after Tylenol and Advil didn't work, meaning he can't say for sure what other option will suffice. Suggesting the man bring in the cleaners he's tried so they can rule out which chemicals don't work, Hicks hung up the phone.

"The last thing I want to do is sell you something that isn't going to work," he said.

Taking time to answer questions like this, installing hand towel dispensers at local non-profits or getting to know city and school district staff and the products they prefer are all part of what Allsopp said are the keys to maintaining the quality service by which Hicks' name is known.

"It's one thing to have a good product with a good price," he said. "But people want service."

The Hicks family owned and operated the local cleaning supply business from about 1945 through 1999 at which point Allsopp bought the business. The only major change he's made, Allsopp said, is dropping the "Paul" from "Paul Hicks Janitorial Service" so people would stop assuming his name was Paul.

"I think his name means a lot in this town and I've tried to retain that," he said.

Allsopp, a former engineer and oil company president, said when he left the oil industry he needed something to do and with no water nearby to fit his sailing hobby, he looked for a business.

A small oil or engineering company was what Hicks assumed he'd find, but his accountant, who also worked with the Hicks family, mentioned the janitorial service business was for sale.

After being convinced that success hinged on his ability to manage and not his knowledge of cleaning, Allsopp took over the company and kept it running as the Hicks family had.

"Cleaning is a ritual that most people don't enjoy," Allsopp said, admitting he like other people isn't an avid cleaner.

Unlike oil prices, though, the cleaning business is steady, he said. With the exception of 2008, which he said was his best year thus far, the shop has come with very few ups or downs.

Much of his business, he said, flipping through handwritten lists of orders for mops, hand sanitizing soap, floor cleaners and others, comes from his regulars, who include everyone from the city of Midland to MISD to several large area churches. Allsopp, who runs the business with one other employee and a few delivery drivers, said they can have supplies delivered anywhere free of charge within an hour provided they have the requested item in stock.

The free and fast delivery is part of why First United Methodist Church staff say they've stayed with Hicks Janitorial Service.

"We like their service," said Facility Manager Charles Williams. Williams said they've used the business since the Hicks family owned it and it maintained its level of service when Allsopp took over so they've stayed.

With each customer, Allsopp said, he's taken the time to get to know them and the items they prefer, helping install items when necessary and keeping a catalog in his memory of which products customers say work on which cleaning problems.

"If you don't care, people soon lose interest in you," Allsopp said.

In West Texas, he said, dust and hard water are "killers" to keeping a tidy house or business.

Homeowners, he said, will come to him as sort of a last resort when grocery store cleaners haven't worked to clean off the dust on the floor or drain issues caused by hard water.

When he first bought the business, he said, he relied on the two long-term employees to answer questions about cleaners. But, he said, now he's learned to make suggestions, as well.

"I can't imagine anybody ever liking cleaning, but the less of a chore it is," Allsopp said, his voice trailing off as the phone rang again.

Some advice, he said, is fairly simple. For instance, putting vinegar down the drain does horrible things for one's pipes.

Part of getting the most out of cleaning products, he said, is using R/O water since the salt in Midland's water hinders the cleaning process.

Many customers, he said, turn to Hicks because they can buy concentrated cleaning supplies. With cleaning solutions sold at grocery stores, he said, they've already been mixed with water, which makes it harder to make them stronger if faced with a tough cleaning task.

"We don't attract business by selling cheap," he said.

Instead, he said, they maintain reasonable prices and keep business because their customers know they can count on them, which he said in a place like Midland often is the most important component to doing business.